Collapsible queen and drone trap



.may 24, m23.

J. E. COTTAM coLLAPsIBLE QUEEN 'AND DRoNE TRAP Filed July 21. 1922 7 NUI'l llllll.

Patented July 24, 1923..

'UNITED ST Liezen ,AL-TENT orifice Y JOHN B. COTTAM, OF MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA.

COLLAPSIBLE QUEEN AND DRONE TRAP.

Application-filed .Tuly 21, 1922. Serial No. 576,575.

To all whom t may `co/mzera `Be it known that I, JOHN COTTAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montecito, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have inventednew l and useful Improvements in Collapsible ective for the catching of queen `and drone bees, but will permit the ready access and egress of the honey beeto and from the hive. Another object is to provide a trap that may be compactly folded ina collapsed kposition for storage and transportation. Ano-ther object is toprovide av trap that may beeX- tended with its elements in a common plane so as to form a bee landing in front oi' a hive. Another object is'to provide a queen and drone trap having removable cells Vwhich may be separately utilized from the .trap to repeive and to transfer and to holda queen ce l.

A further object is to provide altrap having a, trapping chamber into which the drone and queen bees may nd readyvaccess, and which chamber, when applied, will permit the entranceof other bees to and from the hive without traversing the trapping chamber. Further, an object is toy provide an adjustable vgate leading from the trapping chamber so that the trapped queen and dronesmay be carried in the trap from one hive or colonyto another, and the trap closure opened t0 permit the flight of the, trapped queenl and drones tov another hive at entrance of which the trap may be arranged. Various other objects and advantages of the present 'invention will berendered manifest inthe following specification of an embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, in the accompanying drawings, in

Figure l isa front elevation of thel trap as applied to a rectangular or-boXlike beehive, the parts being in trapping position v Figure 2 is a vertical section `through the trap and centrally throughl one of the trapn ping cones oneens;

Figure is a top plan of onevvof the trapy f cells shown as positioned over an-entrance opening m the cage floor; l

Figure 4; is a transverse sectiononl line 4 4 of Figure l showingthees'capegate in y i the `cage floor; Y

Figure 5 is an end view, ofithe fully eX-l tended sections of the trap; l n p i Figure 6 is an end view showing-the trap in compactly foldedposition of thev parts; l

Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the trap cells detached from the. trap and shown as mounted contiguous to a combin ahive. The trap ofthe present invention is adapted to be` applied to different forms of beehives,

one-,of which, of conventional type,.is here shown as consisting of a box or hive Hyhaving a front wall slightly spaced above the hive bottom B so as toprovide anentrance and exit opening O, Figure 2. The= bottom B projects forwardly from-the rontofthe hive and forms a shelfof suiiicientdimensions yto receive the trap@v f l f i g y `The trap is built `up of a number offsubstantial, and preferably metallic, sections,

including a rigid front frame 201i' suitable dimensions, and the lower front corners of which` are 4provided with pintles, 3` which may, if desired, `be attached .to4 a orinrof beehive hood, such as is disclosed in my copending application filed July 21, 1922, Serial No'. 576,573, and which. hood embodies end panels 12 herevshown in dotted lines. l

The frame 2 is provided with an intermediate yrail 4, and'ior a purpose as will be hereinafter explained,`this rail is vprovided with longitudinal strips or ribs forming a keeper. The openings of theiirarne-l 2 are provided with longitudinallyl `extending cage bars 6 or said frame 2 is otherwise suitably constructed to providea orami-` nous *liront panel through which the honey bees may pass readily to and from they-hive, but theopenings are of vsuch dimensionsas to prevent the escape of the larger. drone and queen bees.

lTo the ends ofthe frame?, are hinge-diy connectedy end panels 7y Vadapted to swing around to right angles as tothe frame2and thus rest upon the forwardly proj ecting por# tionof the hive bottomB. Hingedly at-` tached to the upper part of the lframe2 is a top `frame 8, and thisy is providedy -with reticulated openings 9, the top being adapted to fold inwardly at the top of the frame-2 connected at 1.0 to the inner end of the top frame 8 is Vanv ins-ide fora-minous wall or swinging section 11, and this preferably has an angular shoulderl to engage the contiguous part of the top section S so asto limit the inward folding of the inside sec-- tion 11. i Y d Hinged along the bottom end of the inner verticaly section, as at 14, is a cagebottom preferably ofrimperforate sheet metal having openings 16 providing ingress upwardly throughthe horizontally arranged bottom 15 when"` the trap is rset up and adjusted, as shown in Figure 2, overv the entrance O of a hive. To facilitate the assembly 'or erection of thetrap,the swinging edge of the bottom 15 is designed tobe slipped readily into the longitudinally extending'` keeper, 5 "as above described, this latter facilitating the positioning of the parts and forming an accurate' andA substantial guide and support so aste insurethe proper positioning` of the bottom 15. Theend panels? are provided with' top flanges 7a' tooverlap thetop section 8 of the assembled sections of the trap to form a neat'j'oint'and serve for holding the parts in position. The end panels'inay be provided with keepers 7b to receive common hook latches 18 which may be pivotally mounted upon the lower portions of the inner sections 10 so that the end panels can be I hooked in the position shown in Figure 7 to the iniierse'ction and the whole securely fasl ical or otherwise suitably shaped cells 20.

These vcells may be of wire gauze or other suitable material, and each has its base secured on a s llde plate 21 having` an aperture y 2.2 I'of considerable diameter so as to provide for 'the ready entrance, into the conical cell, of the bee. The upper end ofthe cell is sufficiently constricted so that, while the bee may pass outwardly, it will not readily Y iieturn throiighthe small opening 28.

, Prefefabiyeach of are be@ @sus 20 is: tuin u pfin the foringof a complete unit and is adapted to be closed so as toretain vanentrapped drone or Queen. This is vfrequently necessaiiywhen it is desired to transplant a queenbee,.for`instance, `from one colony to and in this- .case the queen, in its Cell lita section 'of honeycomb, is bodily'attach'ed to a comb C in afqueenle'ss colony, andthen a wing or bottom forming member 25, which is hinged as at 26 to one side of the cell-plate 21, isclosed over the bottom vplate to cover the opening 22 leading thereintoV to 'preventthe queen cell from being destroyed by bees. p

The slide' plate 21 is shown as provided with a pin 27 which maybe utilized as a handle and also serves as ameanjsffoi" penetrating the face of a comb C, Figure 7, so as to support lthe cell with the queen inside thereof in front of the comb C. Y

` rlhe cells 20. areadapted to be readily ap',-

plied to the trap bottom' 15,. The latter'is provided with a series of guidesl 15 toreceive the slide plate 21 of each cell protector. When the cell isapplied-,its foldable v wing or bottom leaf 25 is thrown to the open position as shown in Figure 3, so thatit vwill lie flush against the top face ofthe bottom 1 5, and the cage 2O can then be shifted so that it will `register with ing 16 in the bottom 15.` y n ,i v

After the trap has'been applied for such its entrance openlength of time as is necessary, and the drone and queenbees have eitheror any of them enteredfthe trapping chamber 19,A then` the a Atrap is bodily removed from the hive and transported to another Vhive or l"otherwise disposed of as desired. vVihen'the beeshave to b e transferred from hive to hive, the trap is .installed 'in' its v'new situation'v and the trapped queen is permitted to escape-from the trapping chamber 19 so as to enter the new hive', or be otherwise disposed of. i To that end, an escape gate is provided inthe bottom 15 of the trap chamber, and this gate 30 is clearly indicated in `Figure 4 as' comprising a fiat plate, the edgesof which 1 are slidably mounted injguides 31 providedvtherefor in the bottom 15 and arranged alongside ofan escape opening 15?A One yend of the gate may be providedY with a downturned finger pieceuf32 to facilitate its opening and closing. l The cagevhavlng the trapped queen being applied the new hive, the gate 30 is worked open and the en? trapped queen yis permitted to escapefrom the trap into the hive, othervdir'eetion of fiiglit being prevented by the vwalls-of the tmp. s

traprmay be removed and reversed'minto a substantially common plane as' shown in Figure 5 andj'positioned as is `indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 in front ofthe biot,-

Vl/'henv de sired,rthe foldable 'sectionsfofithe tom B'so as to form a spacious, ventilated landing for the bees passing to and from'the hive. Such form of` foraminous 4lz'tndi'ng enables the bees to obtainbetter traction when entering loaded with honey. y

l The leaf 25 may have little snap lips 25 to engage the edge'of the bottom 21 of ltlie Y queen cell protector. Thus the parts are' all plurality of collapsible sections adapted to connected to form a unit, so the parts not be lost.

Further embodiments, modifications and changes may be resorted toWithin the spirit of the invention as here claimed.

vWhat is claimed is: v

l. A queen and drone trap vcomprising a plurality of collapsible sections adapted tok be erected in cage forming position and applic-able to the front of a beehive to cover the opening thereof.

2. A queen and drone trap comprising a plurality of collapsible sections adapted to be erected in cage forming position and applicable tothe front of a beehive to cover the opening thereof, the sections all being hingedly connected.

3. A queen and drone trap comprising a plicable to the front of a beehive to cover the opening thereof, the sections all being hingedly connected, said sections being adapted to be extended in a substantially plane position to form a bee landing in front of a hive.

5. A queen and drone trap consisting of a plurality of foldably connected sectionsl adapted to be erected and disposed in front of a beehive so as to provide for the ready ingress and egress of bees to and from the hive and to prevent the escape of drone and queen bees from the trap 'and hive.

6. A queen and dronetrap consisting of a plurality of foldably connected sections adapted to be erected and disposed in front of a beehive so as to provide for the ready ingress and egress of bees to and from the hive and to prevent the escape of drone and queen bees from the trap and hive, the trapA including a trapping chamber forming a separate compartment in which the larger bees may be entrapped.

7. A queen and drone trap consisting of a plurality of foldably connected sections adapted to be erected and disposed in front of a beehive so as to provide for the ready ingress and egress of bees to and from the hive and to prevent the escape ofdrone and queen bees from thek trap and hive, the trap including a trapping chamber'v forming a f separate compartment in which thelarger bees may be entrapped, the trap permitting the free ingress and egress of the ,smaller honey bees.A

,8. A queen and drone trap comprising `a pluralitypof collapsible sections adapted.

to be erected in cage forming position and f applicable to the front of a bee-hive to cover the opening thereof, and queen holding cells in said trap.

9. A yqueen and drone trapy comprising i a pluralityy of collapsible'sections adapted to be erected in cage forming position and` applicableto the front of `a beehive to cover the opening thereof, and queen holding cells y in said trap, the cells being detachably mounted on a supporting memberof thel trap. i I

10. A transferring cell vfor apiarists use comprising a chamber in which a queen cell may be encased and having means `whereby the cell maybe afliXed to a honeycomb or other primary support tohold the queen bee in association therewith. v

l1. A collapsible bee trap 'comprising a i yfront foraminous panel structure, a top section foldably connected to said structure, a

back section foldably connected to the top section, and a floor section foldably con-` nected to the back section and adapted to be folded into cooperative relation to the front structure to provide a `separate trapping chamber for queen and drone bees, and end panels forthe trap and being hingedly con* -nected to associated elements thereof.

12. A collapsible bee trap comprising a l front foraminous panel structure, a top section foldably connectedvto said structure,a

back section foldably connected to the top section, anda floor section foldably connected to the back section andadapted to be folded into cooperative relation to the yfront structure to provide a separate trapping chamber lfor vqueen and drone bees, end panels for the trap and being hingedly connected tofassociated elements thereof, and

means for fastening thee-rected elements in trap forming position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.y r

JOHN B. COTTAM. 

